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Women’s Aid has warned that survivors of domestic abuse are feeling increasingly fearful for their own safety and that of their children as prisoners begin to be released under the Government’s Early Release Scheme (ERS).
A survey of Women’s Aid members found that 100% of respondents supporting survivors affected by the scheme reported that women were worried about their physical safety ahead of the first tranche of releases on 1 October.
The survey also found that 94.7% of respondents said survivors affected by the ERS felt mentally unprepared for the release of their perpetrators. A further 78.9% reported that survivors were concerned about the safety of their children.
Some survivors were reported to have been forced to relocate or move into refuge accommodation in preparation for the release of their perpetrators.
Women’s Aid also found that 84.2% of respondents said survivors expecting their perpetrators to be released felt that their views had not been taken into account as part of the release process.
Some survivors who had been involved in discussions about licensing conditions were reportedly left with further questions about the arrangements.
The charity said the scheme could also have an impact on future reporting of domestic abuse. Around half of the services surveyed said survivors would be less likely to report abuse in the future as a result of the ERS, whether or not they had been directly affected by the early release of a perpetrator.
Women’s Aid said this could undermine efforts to tackle domestic abuse, which remains a largely hidden crime. The charity said only one in five women experiencing domestic abuse currently comes forward to report it to the police.
Services also raised concerns about a lack of information available to them to provide to survivors affected by the scheme. Women’s Aid said this lack of information could increase existing feelings of anxiety and stress.
One service responding to the survey described supporting five women who were “extremely worried and scared” about the impact of early release on their lives. One woman had already moved home with her children because she believed her former partner would come to the property following his release and that she was at risk.
Women’s Aid chief executive Farah Nazeer said the first releases under the latest scheme would bring “worry, stress and very real fear” for many survivors, particularly given that 2,550 offenders were expected to be released by Christmas.
She said domestic abuse could continue after a relationship had ended and warned that some women and children could face direct and potentially life-threatening danger following the release of perpetrators.
Nazeer also warned that the scheme could further undermine already low levels of trust in the criminal justice system, potentially discouraging women from reporting domestic abuse and leaving more women and children without protection.
She called for survivors’ voices and concerns to be taken into account when decisions affecting their safety are made.
